Marta Figueras-Dotti

The last amateur to win the AIG Women's Open, Marta Figueras-Dotti holds a number of records in the AIG Women's Open.

In 1982, Figueras-Dotti withstood final round charges from Jenny Lee Smith and Rosie Jones to claim a sensational victory at Royal Birkdale, the first time the AIG Women's Open had ever been held at an Open Championship venue. The 24-year old's level par total was good enough to secure the Smyth Salver and AIG Women's Open trophy, the only time that feat has ever been accomplished. She turned professional shortly after her victory.

Figueras-Dotti remains the only Spaniard to win the AIG Women's Open, but she also owns other less desirable championship records that nonetheless indicate her remarkable consistency. She has the joint most runner-up finishes at the Championship with three, one as an amateur in 1980 and two as a professional in 1985 and 1986. She also shares the record for the most consecutive second place finishes with the latter two runner-ups in the mid 1980s.

Though her latter two runner-ups were by multiple shots, the Spaniard's second place at Wentworth in 1980 was surely the most painful near miss. The then 22-year-old held a three shot lead with three holes to go, before missing a short putt on the 16th and hitting a poor drive on 17. Two consecutive bogeys coupled with a Debbie Massey gain left Figueras-Dotti tied with the American. The amateur then played the final hole in six strokes thinking it was enough to secure victory. However, she was given wrong information about Massey's score, and instead lost to the American by one in heartbreaking fashion.

Perhaps with a sense of justice, Figueras-Dotti got her redemption just two years later, becoming AIG Women's Open Champion at Royal Birkdale, with Massey, who was looking for her third consecutive title, three stokes back in fifth place.